The Machi Man's Mighty Year
During a disappointing year when his team is putting up a miserable defense of the World Series, relief pitcher Jean Machi is chugging along. In his first full season in the bigs, the hefty righty has showcased himself as one of the San Francisco Giants most reliable relievers while make a case that he belongs in the big leagues when the calendar resets in 2014.
Despite five separate stints in the minor this year covering 16 outings, Machi has appeared in 47 games for the big club this summer. His numbers? Outstanding. Machi has three wins and a loss while posting an ERA of 2.57. Over 49.0 innings, he has 45 K's, allowed just 12 walks, and given up a total of 44 hits - only two of which have been home runs. Since July 1, he's been extra-dominant with a 1.16 ERA over that time.
Machi's dominance probably comes as a bit of a surprise considering the 31-year-old didn't make his MLB debut until last September, appearing in 8 games for the Giants. He was not on the Giants postseason roster, but he would have earned a World Series ring, joining reliever Mark Rzepczynski as the only former Fisher Cats to earn the postseason bling.
When he was with the Fisher Cats, the soft-spoken Machi appeared in 69 total games with the Fisher Cats, the only team he played for in the Blue Jays affiliation. The Jays are one of five organizations he's played for, but the Giants are the only team he's played in the major leagues with.
How good as Machi been this season? Check out this article with the corresponding videos: